Mad,
I know I have one around here someplace. It had a red frame and chrome tank. I replaced
the steel fenders with Preston Pettys, removed the goofy side number plates and brackets
that were mounted on the rear fender, changed the gearshift to one down four up, bolted
on a Bassini pipe with integrated silencer and replaced the steel rims with aluminum. My Dad
bought it for me new in '73 and I entered my first race in '74. It was a great bike and the
equal of the green tank Yamahas and Pentons I raced against.
I didn't know it at the time (and maybe it didn't exists until later), but Hodaka has a loyal
and rabid following. I've met a ton of racers that started out on them.
I'm posting a picture I found on the internet. It's not my bike, but it's one just like mine.
Jetz,
My "Rat" went like stink most of the time. I think they were considerably faster than the standard
Ace 100. Another factor that helped was the fact that I only weighed 130 lbs soaking wet with
all my gear.
The one obstacle that did give my "Rat" fits was the deep sand pits found on many tracks back
then. The pits were positioned after a jump so you would land in them and sink up to your axles.
The pits were about ten feet below track level and if you didn't land it just right, your bike would
stick like a bug on fly paper and you'd end up face down in the sand only to be landed on by the
next bike in the pit. It was a nightmare for small bikes and not much better on the big bikes.
dogger